Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

Dr. Blackwell’s original article, “HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Through Use of Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Alafenamide” has been accepted for publication in the Journal for Nurse Practitioners. The article is co-written by Dr. Humberto López Castillo, an Assistant Professor dually-appointed in the University of Central Florida’s College of Health Professions and Sciences and College of Medicine. The article will be published in mid-2021. The abstract appears below:

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) involves use of antiretroviral medication in concert with safer sex practices to significantly reduce risk of HIV-1 infection. In October 2019, daily use of emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (FTC/TAF) 200mg/25mg was approved as a newer agent for PrEP to prevent HIV-1 infection in at-risk adults and adolescents. The purpose of this article is to: 1) Provide an overview of the FTC/TAF regimen and its safety and efficacy profiles; 2) Discuss indications and contraindications of FTC/TAF as PrEP; 3) Provide a focused comparison of FTC/TDF with FTC/TAF; and 4) Examine issues surrounding cost and accessibility in the United States.

Dr. Christopher Blackwell has been selected for induction into the University of Central Florida’s prestigious Scroll & Quill Society.

This society is based on two prestigious faculty clubs established in the 1980s to honor faculty members who brought recognition to the university through: (a) The Quill, to recognize authored books and (b) The Scroll, to recognize significant and sustained peer reviewed publications in national and international journals.

Building on the foundation of UCF’s original Quill and Scroll societies this recognition program was redesigned to continue to honor the Legacy Members of the original societies while extending recognition for contemporary UCF faculty scholarly achievements across all disciplines. In line with the UCF Collective Impact Strategic Plan, the specific focus of this society is on recognizing faculty members who have demonstrated sustained scholarly contributions (over a period of at least 10 years at UCF), and have brought positive national and/or international attention to the institution through this scholarly work.

Dr. Blackwell is among 14 members selected for induction in the 2020-2021 Class. For more information on the accomplishments of the 2020-2021 Class of the Inductees of UCF’s Quill & Scroll Society, visit this Provost Newsroom story:

Dr. Blackwell’s original article, “Reducing Sexually-Associated Transmission of COVID-19 in Men Who Have Sex with Men” has been accepted for publication in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. This publication is more than likely the first peer-reviewed, scholarly publication on the subject and will appear in the profession’s premiere journal both on-line and in-print in the next few months.

Dr. Blackwell’s original article, “Use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons: Implications for Public Health Nursing” has been accepted for publication in the journal Public Health Nursing, the profession’s premiere journal in public health. Co-authored by Dr. Humberto Lopez-Castillo, an Assistant Professor of Health Sciences in the College of Health Professions and Sciences at the University of Central Florida, the article includes an exhaustive overview of the literature on the topic and concludes with future clinical and research directives for nurses and other public health providers on the subject. The issue and volume of the publication are forthcoming.

Christopher W. Blackwell, Ph.D., APRN, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, CNE, FAANP, FAAN was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) on Saturday, October 26th in Washington, DC.

The American Academy of Nursing’s fellows are nursing leaders in education, management, practice and research. Fellows represent association executives; university presidents, chancellors and deans; elected officials; state and federal political appointees; hospital chief executives and vice presidents for nursing; nurse consultants; and researchers and entrepreneurs.

Invitation to fellowship is more than recognition of one’s accomplishments within the nursing profession. Academy fellows also have a responsibility to contribute their time and energies to the Academy, and to engage with other health leaders outside the Academy in transforming America’s health system by

• Enhancing the quality of health and nursing;
• Promoting healthy aging and human development across the life continuum;
• Reducing health disparities and inequalities;
• Shaping healthy behaviors and environments;
• Integrating mental and physical health; and
• Strengthening the nursing and health delivery system, nationally, and internationally.

Dr. Blackwell’s induction as a FAAN is a career pinnacle achievement. The UCF College of Nursing noted the induction:

Dr. Christopher Blackwell is a national expert on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer health. His work was among the earliest on point-of-service screening of HIV by nurses, and today his research continues to guide nurses on providing care and making clinical decisions for high-risk and vulnerable populations. For example, his research on the use of a smart phone application to help providers make vaccine-administration decisions for HIV-infected adults has contributed to safer and more effective health outcomes. A board-certified adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner and adult nurse practitioner, Blackwell has received numerous honors in his career including the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Educator Award and being inducted as a fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. He currently serves as program director for the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner graduate programs and is a commissioner on the board of directors for the certified nurse educator program for the National League for Nursing.

Dr. Blackwell’s original article, “Equality and Quality: The Relationship Between Magnet® Status and Healthcare Organizational Commitment to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Equality” has been ACCEPTED for publication in the Journal of Social Service Research. The article explores findings from Dr. Blackwell’s work examining the relationship between healthcare organizations’ overall score on the HRC Healthcare Equality Index and their status as being a Magnet®-recognized institution. The article, which takes an interdisciplinary focus and written with co-authors Alina Diaz-Cruz, MSN, MA, RN (Instructor, Barry University College of Nursing and Health Sciences and UCF Ph.D. Candidate) and Dr. Xin Yin (Professor of Statistics, UCF Department of Statistics and Data Science), will be published later this year. The abstract appears below:

Introduction: Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) persons in the healthcare system is pervasive. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) conducts a major study annually in which participating healthcare organizations (n =626) are scored on their treatment of LGBTQ employees and clients published as its Healthcare Equality Index. Higher scores earned on the HEI correspond to more equitable treatment of LGBTQ persons, a mark of distinction. Similarly, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) recognizes nursing excellence in healthcare organizations by designating them as Magnet institutions (n =477), indicating alignment of the organization’s nursing strategic goals with improvement in patient outcomes. 

Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted to determine if a relationship existed between an organization’s HEI score and ANCC Magnet recognition. 

Results: Results supported a statistically significant association between HEI score and Magnet^®status (p = .0336). 

Discussion: Nurses, social workers, and other healthcare professionals should advocate for LGBTQ clients and colleagues and contribute to LGBTQ-related research, which is needed to enhance care delivery to LGBTQ persons across professions. Future research should focus on health outcomes resulting from interprofessional collaborations aimed at improving LGBTQ care and strategies to reduce discrimination against LGBTQ clients and employees.

Dr. Blackwell’s original article, “Demonstrating Nursing Excellence through Equality: The Relationship Between Magnet^®Status and Organizational LGBTQ Client Services and Support” has been ACCEPTED for publication in the Journal of Transcultural Nursing. The article explores findings from Dr. Blackwell’s work examining the relationship between healthcare organizations’ score on the HRC Healthcare Equality Index and their status as being a Magnet®-recognized institution. The article, focusing on the importance of results assessing the specific HRC HEI dimension of Organizational LGBTQ Client Services and Support, will be published later this year. The abstract appears below:

Introduction: Human Rights Campaign (HRC) annually scores healthcare treatment of LGBTQ employees and clients among four measured dimensions in its Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). The purpose of this study was to determine if the score organizations earned on the 2018 HEI dimension measuring LGBTQ client services and support correlated with organizations’ ANCC Magnet^®recognition status, a distinction of nursing excellence.

Methods: Using a secondary data analysis approach, data obtained from HRC that specifically rated LGBTQ client services and support in 2018 HEI participating organizations (n =626) were compared to the most recent inventory of ANCC Magnet^®healthcare organizations (n =477). 

Results: LGBTQ client services and support HEI scores positively correlated with Magnet^®status (p = .0002). 

Discussion: Provision of LGBTQ client services and Magnet^®recognition is strongly related to higher quality nursing care, suggesting organizations earning Magnet^®recognition provide more equitable services to its LGBTQ clients.

Dr. Christopher Blackwell presented his original presentation, “Preventing HIV in Adolescents and Adults: PrEP, PEP, and Other Innovative Strategies” at the 2019 Conference of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in Indianapolis, IN. HIV remains a major public health issue and disparity, particularly in ethnic and sexual minorities. NPs may be familiar with non-pharmacologic HIV prevention but unfamiliar with pharmacologic prevention strategies for HIV pre- and post-exposure. NPs need a solid understanding regarding the pathophysiologic relationships between HIV RNA levels, CD4 counts, and HIV communicability and how these data apply clinically, and be current on HIV prevention research and their clinical and public health role in HIV prevention. 

The presentation provided an overview of the most current clinical strategies used in the prevention of HIV infection in adolescents and adults, focusing on use of pharmacologic pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV in high-risk individuals. In addition, pharmacologic post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) guidelines and treatments aimed at preventing HIV infection in persons with potential exposure were also examined and discussed.

Prescribing principles of both PrEP and PEP were reviewed. Evidence-based data regarding traditional clinical and public health HIV prevention approaches were also critiqued. The relationships between HIV RNA level (viral load), CD4 count, and HIV communicability were explored, with emphasis on an understanding of the recent CDC declaration regarding non-communicability of HIV in infected persons with an undetectable viral load. Finally, strategies direct future research initiatives in HIV prevention and advance the nurse practitioner’s role in preventing HIV infection were provided.

The presentation can be accessed here: http://drchristopherblackwell.com/documents/hivprevention_2019_AANP_000.pdf

Dr. Christopher Blackwell, Associate Professor & Director of AGACNP Programs in the College of Nursing at the University of Central Florida was notified on May 16th that he has been selected for induction as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).

According to AAN: The Academy serves the public and the nursing profession by advancing health policy, practice and science through organizational excellence and effective nursing leadership. Every day across America, the Academy and its members create and execute knowledge-driving and policy-related initiates to drive reform of America’s health system.

Academy’s more than 2,700 members, known as Fellows, are nursing’s most accomplished leaders in education management, practice and research. Fellows include association executives; university presidents, chancellors, and deans; state and federal political appointees; hospital chief executives and vice presidents for nursing; nurse consultants; researchers; and entrepreneurs.

Fellows have been recognized for their extraordinary nursing careers and are among the nation’s most highly-educated citizens: more than 90% hold doctoral degrees and the rest have completed masters programs. Invitation to the fellowship represents more than recognition of one’s accomplishments within the nursing profession. Academy fellows also have a responsibility to contribute their time and energies to the Academy and to engage with other health leaders outside the Academy in transforming America’s health system by

• Enhancing the quality of health and nursing care,
• Promoting healthy aging and human development across the life continuum,
• Reducing health disparities and inequalities,
• Shaping healthy behaviors and environments,
• Integrating mental and physical health, and
• Strengthening the nursing and health delivery system, nationally and internationally.

Being inducted as a FAAN is widely considered to be the pinnacle of accomplishment and achievement within the nursing profession. The ceremony will take place in Washington, DC on October 26th. Dr. Blackwell will be joined by UCF College of Nursing colleagues Drs. Annette Bourgault and Vicki Loerezel, also selected for 2019 FAAN induction.